Attachment for pneumatic feeding-trunks.



2U 9 Z b U Nn. 733,986.- PATENTBD JULY 21', 1903. T; R. MARSDEN. ATTACHMENT TOR PNEUMATIG TBBDING TRUNKS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAB.. 7, 1993.- N`0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-8311211.

PATENTED JULY 2l, 1903.

T. R. MARSDEN. ATTACHMENT FOR PNEUMATIG PEEDING TRUNKS.

Arrmourox 'rin-1m mn. '1. 190s.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2;

Zim L YM.

cams uns ce. wenn N0 MODEL.

PATENTED JULYQT, 190s.

T. R. MARSDBN. ATTACHMENT TOR TNEUMATTG PEEDING TRUNKS.

APPLICATION FILED KAB.. 7, A1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Jhr/mm @dg/mm Maude rm: nouns uns co A uovaurna, wxwmaron. u. cv

Vand other textile fiber.

UNITED STATES acented July 21, leo.

PATENT OFFICE.

'THOMAS 'RoDeERsoN MARSDEN, or OLDHAM, ENGLAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters :Patent No. 733,986, dated .iy 21, 19o;

Application tiled March 7, 1903. Serial No. 146.7f0. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, THOMAS RoDenRsoN MARSDEN, manager in the employ of Platt Brothers & Con1panyLimited, machinists, of Oldham, a subject o'f the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Bank View, Derker, Oldham, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Pneumatic Feeding-Trunks, (for which I have made application for patent in Great Britain, No. 11,244, dated May 16, 1902,) of which the following is a specification.

My said invention has reference to improvements in and applicable to hopper bale-breakers, hopper-feeders, and to other machines or apparatus for feeding or preparing cotton In machines of the indicated class it is now the custom to employ a fan in connection with air tubes or pipes to facilitate the removal of dirt and as-L sist theeven distribution of fiber, the air.

tubes being provided with perforated doors, grids, or reticulated surfaces, as is well understood. These grids are liable to become choked or to have their surfaces compacted with dirt and fiber, so that the action of the fan is impaired. In practice I find that the dirt and ber gradually accumulate until the suction of the fan can no longer sustain the weight of the accumulation, whereupon the compacted mass of dirt and fiber falls back into the machine and becomes incorporated, so that the cotton in the hopper or the like is fouled. To prevent choking of the grid and the undue accumulation of dirt and fiber, various scraping devices have been proposed; but these are open to the objection that the dirt removed thereby must of necessity fall back among the fiber fed, and so pass on through the machine.

According to my invention I propose to employ a reversible or rotatable perforated door, grid, or surface which is intermittently orpotherwise rotated, so that the faces of the -grid or reticulateddevice are alternately directly opposed to the .uprising dust and dirt and thereafter quickly reversed. Thus what was at one time the active or opposing face of the grid becomes the non-active or passive,

face, and vice versa. 'Under this arrangement dust anddirt are allowed to accumulate upon the grid for a suitable length of time,

'whereupon the grid is rapidly reversed and its layer or coating of dust'and dirt is turned face in to the air-suction pipe, the accumulated xnass being rapidly withdrawn or sucked away from the grid by the fan. By these means the dust and dirt is wholly withdrawn and permanently removed from the machine at suitable intervals, while the regular reversal of the grid renders the action of the fan more uniform and certain. In order that'my invention may-be fully understood and one form of mechanism by which I carry the same into practical effect clearly explained, I will now descri-bethe in.

vention in detail and with reference to the annexed three sheets of drawings.

In the said drawings, on Sheet 1, Figure 1 shows my improved reversible or revolving perforated door or grid with suitable actuating mechanism in connection with a portion of a hopper bale-breaker, the figure being broken in length for want of space. On Sheet 2; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the actuating mechanism seen in Fig. 1 looking in the di rection of the arrow marked l. Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged detail views. On Sheet 3, Fig. 5 is a plan view of the perforated door or grid and connected mechanism, while Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views.

Under my invention, as before explained, I arrange to reverse or rotate the perforated door or grid a. To this end I support the perforated door or grid or other reticulated surface on trunnions or on a shaft a', sustained in suitable bearings. The grid or reticulated surface is disposed in any convenient position-say, for instance, at the foot of the fan-pipe b, as clearly shown in the drawings-and is rotated intermittently by a spur-pinion c. This spur-pinion c is loose upon the shaft a' and is compounded with or secured to :a clutch-half c', the pinion and clutch-'half being movablev endwise against the action of the spring c2. The clutch-half c' normally gearswith a clutch-half d, fixed To actuate the pinion c, I employ a movable rack c, which on its upward movement rotates the pinion in one direction, while on its downward movement the direction of roion moving endwise against the action of the 'spring c2, so that no movement of the shaft a results. On the descent of the lrack the direction of rotation of the pinion is changed, whereupon the clutch-halves interlock, and by reason of the c1utch-half d being fixed upon the shaft 0,' said shaft'a is rotated and the' perforated door or reticulated surface a reversed. Tp prevent any possibility of the clutch-half d turning with the half c on the upward movement of the rack e, I fix a ratchet-wheel f at the other end of the revolving door-shaft a', and with this ratchetwheel f a pawl f gears. By these means the shaft is eectually prevented from turning save in the one direction and upon thedescent the rack e. The rack e is guided by studs g, which en gage slots e', or is otherwise supported so as to be free to slide or move within limits, said rack being normally held down by the pull of a spiral spring h.

The raising of the rack e is eected in the following manner: Upon a short shaft 11,' supported in brackets jj', I mounta worm-wheel k, provided with a projecting pin 7c'. This worm-wheel is driven by a Worm Z, mounted on the side shaft m, which is in turn driven by worm-gearing from the beater-shaft n or otherwise, as desired. 1 During about one,

half revolution of the Worm-wheel lo the pin lo bears in the notch or recess e2 or otherwise engages the rack e, lifting the same upward during such partial revolution. Vith the continued revolution of such Worm-Wheel c the pin lc' is carried clear of the notch or recess 62 and allows the spring h to pull down the rack e. The upward movement of the rack turns the clutch-half c without causing same to engage the half d; but on the rack being pulled down the direction of rotation of the spur-pinion c is changed and the door or grid is rapidly reversed.

The action of the mechanism is briefly as follows: I will suppose the rack to be in its lowest position and the machine to be at work. Asthe worm-wheel 7c revolves the pin 7c' comes into contact with the notch or recess e2 in the racke and, engaging therewith, at once commences to raise the rack against the pull of the spring. Continued revolution of the worm-wheel furtherA raises said rack, rotating the pinion c and its clutchhalf c', which, however, Merely slips on the half d. Thus as the rack. scends the door or grid `et remains statimiary, the ratchetpawl f absolutely preventing any movement in the one direction. As soon, however, as the pin k in its revolution moves clear of the rack the spring h pulls the same down smartly, so that the teeth of said rack now operate to turn the pinion in the reverse direction. When this occurs, the clutch-halves is rapidly reversed. To prevent the door making more than a half-revolution, a stud or bolt o, secured to the head of the rack e, is caused to engage one or other of the projections orarms d', secured to the clutch-half d. (See Fig. 3.) By these means the door is checked in its revolution and the desired position assured.

I may mount the revolving perforated door or grid upon a shaft a portion of which is half-round, as is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 6, and I may provide the edges of the perforated door or grid with leather strips q, so as to make the junction as air-tight as possible. Such an application of leather strips q is shown in the various figures, and perhaps most -clearly in Fig. 7.

The form of mechanism hereiubefore described not only allows for a dwell or period of quiescence in respect of each face of'the perforated door or grid, but also provides for a rapid reversal from one face to the other.

This system in practice has given good results, and I have employed such gear to drive the Worm-wheel 7c as to give a reversal about once every five minutes. This may, however, be obviously varied. The shock on rapid reversal, due to the pull of the spring on the release of the rack, I iind to be beneficial in loosening the accumulation.

By means of my invention I am enabled to present at intervals a clean or fresh face to the mass of .cotton and dirt, thereby vastly improving the action of the fan, while the dirty accumulated mass resting ou the reversed face is quickly and permanently removed from the machine.

It will be obvious that the mechanism herein described is susceptible of some modification without at all departing from the spirit of my invention.

Any suitable arrangement 0E air tubes or pipes may be used in connection with my improved reversible or alternating grids, and a single fan may be employed for each grid and air-tube or for a number of such grids and tubes, as desired.

My invention is not restricted to hopper bale-breakers and hopper-feeders, but may with advantage be applied to rag-machines, so-called dusting-machines, which are used for removing dirt from cotton and woolen Waste, willows, and gins, and to other machines for dealing with textile fibers and in which dust-cages are not applicable.

In the drawings, A represents the side of the upper part of the hopper bale-breaker.

B is the ordinary beater, and C is the'spiked lattice, only so much of known parts being shown as will facilitate a clear comprehension of my invention.

I declare that what I claim isc' d gear immediately and the door or grid IIO 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a fan and an air-pipe of a reversible, perforated door for said pipe, substantially as described.

2. In a' device of the class described, the combination` with a fan and an air-pipe, of a reversible door for said pipe and means for operating the same, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a fan and an air-pipe, of a reversible perforated door and means for operating the same, substantially as described.

4. In. a device of the class described, the combination with a fan and an air-pipe of a reversible perforated door for said pipe and means for intermittently operating said door, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a fan and an air-pipe of Ya 2o THOMAS RODGERSON MARSDEN.

Witnesses JOSHUA ENTWISLE, RICHARDv IBBERsoN. 

